Reversible disk plow.



J. W. RAGSDALE.

REVERSIBLE DISK PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-18.1915.

1,150,534. Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

Suva 601:

1.161111 W.Rcu5sdu1e JOHN W. RAG-SDALE, 0F VILLAGE- SPRINGS, ALABAMA.

REVERSIBLE DISK PLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1'7, rare.

Application filed March 18, 1915. Serial No. 15,314.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JOHN W. RAGSDALE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Village Springs, in the county of Blount and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible Disk Plows, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in reversible disk plows.

The object of my invention is to improve and perfect the manner of control of the plow so that it will respond readily and easily to the draft pull of the team either for reversing or for short quarter turns in either direction, thereby making a disk plow available for any kind of hillside or level plowing.

In the preferred embodiment of my in vention the disk is pivotally mounted on the frame which has the tongue also pivotally connected thereto and preferably adapted to automatically reverse thedisk when the tongue is reversed. d

One feature of my invention consists in dividing the tongue into pivotally connected sections that are normally latched in alinement, the latch when tripped permitting the front section to swing horizontally in either direction with the team to make ashort quarter turn. To facilitate this short turn, I connect the two alining furrow wheels for joint movement in the same direction about their vertical axes and connect the forward furrow wheel axle to the laterally swinging end of the tongue so that the team can exert a direct draft guidance that will swing the frame about the diskas a center and se cure thereby a perfect quarter turn without undue strain on the disk, as the rear furrow wheel will follow up the furrow instead of riding out over the plowed ground until ready to swing for the quarter turn.

A further object of my invention is to simplify the guiding connections between the tongue and the furrow wheels and make them reversible and controllable from the seat so that it will be a simple matter to reverse the connections on the reversing ofthe tongue.

My invention further comprises the details of construction and arrangements of parts which are hereinafter described in the claims and which, in their preferred embodiment, are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention, the dotted lines showing the several operat ing positions of the beam. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the joint and latch for the beam sections. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the guide rod for connecting the swinging end of the beam to the furrow wheels.

Similar reference numerals refer to simi lar parts throughout the drawings.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, I show a. U-shaped metal frame 1 having on one side, at its center, a lateral extension 2 rigidly connected thereto. Inclined furrow wheels 8 and 1 are mounted in alinement at the ends of the frame 1, while a single third wheel 5 is mounted midway of "the extension 2 and disposed vertically. Any suitable axles and bearings may be pro vided for the wheels, the furrow wheels preferably having bent axles 6, the vertical inner ends of which are journaled in bearings 7 in the frame and provided with adjusting levers 8 on theframe which will adjust the frame vertically on the axles. All

this construction is standard and need not be further described in detail.

I fasten on the upper end of each axle 6 an inturned radius arm 9 and I connect the ends of these arms by a bar or' rod 10 to cause the wheels 3 and 4 to swing in unison about their vertical axes. This bar is made adjustable as to length by parting it and providing a turn buckle 10 so that the wheels can be set at an angle to the line of draft when required.

A disk plow 11 is connected to a vertical standard 12 pivotally mounted in'bearings 13 on the frame 1, and having keyed to its upper end a sector gear 14; adapted to mesh with a sector gear 15 fast on the tongue 16, which swingsabout a vertical pivot pin 17 at the center'of frame 1. By this arrangement, the reversing of the tongue from front to rear will at the same time effect a reversal of the disk. The tongue is arched so that it will clear the wheel 5 in reversing. The inner end of the tongue rests on and slides over the frame extension 2 and is provided with a latch pin 18 which is con trolled by a spring pressed foot pedal 19, pivoted on the tongue, and adapted to engage in one of two sockets 20 provided at the front and rear end of the frame extension 2 to latch the tongue in correct operating position relatively to the frame. The tongue is divided at an intermediate point, preferably close to the frame, into two parts which are pivoted together by a vertical hinge pin 21. The outer end section 22 of the tongue has its rear end enlarged at 23 and adapted to be received between the bifurcated ends 24; provided at the front end of the inner tongue section 16. These bifurcations 24 and the end 23 are rounded and centrally perforated to receive the pivot pin 21 which connects them and in addition they are each provided with a latch pin hole 25, which holes are adapted to register when the tongue sections are in line with each other so that they may be locked in this position by a latch pin 26 pivoted to a crank 27 that is connected by a link 28 to the lever 29 mounted on the inner end of the tongue in convenient reach of the operator and normally held by a spring 29 in position with the pin in latched position.

I provide each of the axles 6 near the wheel with an eye 30, the eyes on the two axles being reversely disposed and the one the eye 30 and swing it over on the other side of the tongue so that when the tongue is reversed the draft rod 32 can be connected to the eye 30 on the furrow wheel axle at the rear end of the frame. A clevis clip 35 is bolted to the end of the tongue. This guide rod 32 remains connected to, and is free to swing with the tongue in reversing and in either position it can be readily engaged in the adjacent eye 30 so as to connect the two furrow wheels to the tongue for guiding purposes. A seat 36 is mounted on the rear end of the tongue 16 and swings therewith about its vertical pivot 17.

In operation, when it is desired to make a quarter turn, the lever 29 is operated to unlatch the front section 22 of the tongue, thereby freeing it to swing with the team about its hinge pin 21 in either direction and permitting the team to swing with a short turn and bring the tongue 22 at right angles to the frame. This movement of tongue 22 acts through the guide rod 32 to swing the two furrow wheels into position to make a short swinging turn about the disk. All these wheels are so arranged relatively to the disk that they will turn about it as a center. After the turn has been made the lever is released and the tongue sections latchedback by pin 26 into position for straight plowing. On reversing, the draft bar 32 is swung up to disengage it from the furrow wheels, and the foot pedal 19 is operated to trip pin'l8 and release the whole tongue which is then free to swing with the team to the left, passing over wheel 5 and reversing with it the disk plow and seat. After the tongue has been reversed, the draft rod 32 is swung down by its handle to engage the adjacent eye 30 of the furrow wheel axles and the plow is ready for reverse action. These arrangements make the disk plow suitable for reverse plowing, for quarter turn plowing around a field in either direction, and generally for any kind of hillside or level plowing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a disk plow, the combination of a i i to hold the tongue in forward or reverse positions on the frame, two furrow wheels on one side of the frame and in alinement, pivoted axles. for said wheels, means to connect said axles to cause them to swing together, means to pivotally connect the tongue sections, and a draft rodconnecting the outer end of the tongueto the adjacent axle.

2. In a disk plow, the combination of a main frame, a swinging sectional tongue pivotally connected to the center of the frame, a disk, means to reverse the disk with the reversal of the tongue, latch means to hold the tongue in forward or reverse positions on the frame, two furrow wheels on one side of the frame and in alinement, pivoted axles for said wheels, means to connect said axles to cause them to swing together, means to pivotally connect the tongue sections, and a draft rod pivotally connected to j the outer end of the tongue and adjustable therewith to detachably engage one or the other of the furrow wheel axles.

3. In a disk plow, a main frame, a wheel mounted at the middle of the frame on one side and two inclined furrow wheels mount- 3 ed at the ends of the frame on the other side, a disk connected to the frame substantially' equi-distantly from the wheels, pivotal axles for the furrow wheels, means to couple the furrow wheels to swing together freely and in like direction, a tongue hinged near its center and having its outer end free to swing to either side, and a draft rod connecting said swinging end of the tongue to the adjacent furrow wheel axle and adapted versible tongue on the frame,.axles for the furrow wheels, means connecting the furrow axles to swlng the furrow wheels together and in the same direction, and a draft rod mounted on the tongue and adapted to detachably engage the near furrow wheel axle, said draft rod having handle means for manipulating it, substantially as described.

5. In a reversible disk plow, the combination of a frame, a seat thereon, a reversible pivoted tongue mounted on the frame, furrow wheels having vertically journaled axles, meansto connect said axles to swing the wheels together and in the same direction, an eye carried by each axle, and a draft rod comprising a handle portion pivotally mounted on the tongue and a rearwardly and laterally extending portion having a, reversible eye engaging end member, said handle being in convenient reach from the seat, substantially as described.

6. In a disk plow, in combination, a frame, a disk mounted near the center of the frame, a tongue pivotally connected to the frame, a vertically disposed wheel on one side of the frame and two inclined furrow wheels on the other side of the frame, said several wheels being substantially equidistant from the disk, substantially vertical axes for said furrowwheels, similarly disposed radius arms connected to said axes, a rod joining said axes, and means to connect the forward furrow wheel axis near the wheel to the forward end of the tongue, substantially as described.

7. In a disk plow, in combination, a frame, a disk mounted near the center of the frame, a reversible tongue pivotally connected to the frame, a vertically disposed wheel on one side of the frame and two inclined furrow wheels on the opposite side of the frame, said furrow wheels being disposed in alinement and equi-distant from the disk, axles for said furrow wheels, adjustable means to couple said axles for joint and similar movement of the furrow wheels, and means to connect the forward furrow wheel axle near the wheel to the forward end of the tongue, substantially as described.

8. In a disk plow, a frame, a pair of alining furrow wheels on one side, bent axles for said wheels having vertical inner end bearings, arms fast on the vertical ends of the axles, which arms are disposed in the same direction, an adjustable connection to rigidly connect said arms, a tongue having a laterally swinging end portion, and means to connect said end portion to the adjacent furrow wheel axle, substantially as described.

9. In a disk plow, a frame, a disk journaled near the frame center, a reversible tongue pivoted to the frame and adapted to reverse the disk with it, latch means to lock the tongue in forward or reversed operating position, a joint in the tongue adapted to permit the forward end thereof to swing laterally in either direction, a latch to lock the tongue sections in alinement, two furrow wheels on the same side of the frame, axles therefor which are coupled to swing the wheels together in the same direction, and a draft connection from the front furrow wheel axle to the forward end of the tongue.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. RAGSDALE.

Witnesses:

N OMIE WELSH, R. D. JOHNSTON, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

